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American Foxhound
Description Head Skull--Should be fairly long, slightly domed at occiput, with cranium broad and full. Ears--Ears set on moderately low, long, reaching when drawn out nearly, if not quite, to the tip of the nose; fine in texture, fairly broad, with almost entire absence of erectile power--setting close to the head with the forward edge slightly inturning to the cheek--round at tip. Eyes-- Eyes large, set well apart, soft and houndlike--expression gentle and pleading; of a brown or hazel color. Muzzle--Muzzle of fair length--straight and square-cut--the stop moderately defined. Defects--A very flat skull, narrow across the top; excess of dome; eyes small, sharp and terrier like, or prominent and protruding; muzzle long and snippy, cut away decidedly below the eyes, or very short. Roman-nosed, or upturned, giving a dish-face expression. Ears short, set on high, or with a tendency to rise above the point of origin. Body Neck and Throat--Neck rising free and light from the shoulders, strong in substance yet not loaded, of medium length. The throat clean and free from folds of skin, a slight wrinkle below the angle of the jaw, however, is allowable. Defects--A thick, short, cloddy neck carried on a line with the top of the shoulders. Throat showing dewlap and folds of skin to a degree termed "throatiness." Shoulders, Chest and Ribs Shoulders sloping--clean, muscular, not heavy or loaded--conveying the idea of freedom of action with activity and strength. Chest should be deep for lung space, narrower in proportion to depth than the English hound--28 inches (girth) in a 23-inch hound being good. Well-sprung ribs--back ribs should extend well back--a three-inch flank allowing springiness. Back and Loins Back moderately long, muscular and strong. Loins broad and slightly arched. Defects--Very long or swayed or roached back. Flat, narrow loins. Forelegs and Feet Forelegs--Straight, with fair amount of bone. Pasterns short and straight. Feet--Fox-like. Pad full and hard. Well-arched toes. Strong nails. Defects--Straight, upright shoulders, chest disproportionately wide or with lack of depth. Flat ribs. Out at elbow. Knees knuckled over forward, or bent backward. Forelegs crooked. Feet long, open or spreading. Hips, Thighs, Hind Legs and Feet Hips and thighs, strong and muscled, giving abundance of propelling power. Stifles strong and well let down. Hocks firm, symmetrical and moderately bent. Feet close and firm. Defects--Cowhocks, or straight hocks. Lack of muscle and propelling power. Open feet. Tail Set moderately high; carried gaily, but not turned forward over the back; with slight curve; with very slight brush. Defects--A long tail, Teapot curve or inclined forward from the root. Rat tail, entire absence of brush. Coat A close, hard, hound coat of medium length. Defects--A short thin coat, or of a soft quality. Height Dogs should not be under 22 or over 25 inches. Bitches should not be under 21 or over 24 inches measured across the back at the point of the withers, the hound standing in a natural position with his feet well under him. Color Any color. American Foxhound History According to well-known authorities, the first mention of hounds being imported to America dates back to 1650, when Robert Brooke sailed for the Crown Colony in America with a pack of hounds. These hounds were the basis of several strains of American Hounds. Hounds from France and England were brought in to further develop the breed in the middle to late 1700's. The pioneers of the American Foxhound were located in Maryland, Virginia and Tennessee with strains that included Walker, Trigg and Goodman hounds. While the American Foxhound was in the developmental stages, there were four basic purposes that the breed was being used for: a field trial hound (for competition where speed and a jealous nature were important), a hound for hunting fox with a hunter (a slow worker with a good voice), trail or drag hounds (speed being the only factor) and pack hounds (numbering fifteen to twenty or more, used by hunt clubs and farmers). Trivia *The American Foxhound's origins date back to the early 1700's in Virginia and Maryland. *The American Foxhound is an ideal choice for those who live in rural areas or on large farms. *It was in November 1852 that a black and tan hound was stolen out of Tennessee and taken to Madison County, Kentucky. This hound was called "Tennessee Lead" and he became the foundation sire of all Walker, Trigg and Goodman foxhounds. These three strains make up the major portion of what is called American Foxhounds by AKC today. *According to well-known authorities on the American Foxhound, the first mention that we have of hound importations to *America appears in a diary of one of DeSoto's retainers. *The Foxhound in this country is used for four purposes, all of them quite different from each other, and thus calling for hounds of a different characteristic: field trial hounds, fox hunting hound, "trail" hounds, and pack hounds. *The types of hounds in America vary widely, but in the last few years the American Foxhound Club and the hunts which are members of the Masters of Foxhounds Association have made great strides in developing a more standard type. *George Washington, the father of our nation, is also the father of American Foxhounds. In 1770, Washington imported a number of hounds from England and in 1785, he received a number of French foxhounds from the Marquis de Lafayette. These hounds, carefully bred and maintained by Washington, are the founders of today's American Foxhound. More than 30 hounds were listed in Washington's journals, including "Drunkard," "Tipler," and "Tipsy."